


Family Affairs

by Theoroark



Series: Dark Room [11]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Slice of Life, Trans Characters, Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2020-01-06 23:19:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18398399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theoroark/pseuds/Theoroark
Summary: Ashe and Akande take a ski vacation, and talk family.





	Family Affairs

The cabin Akande took her thing was a huge thing, nestled in the Alps. It was three stories with a massive fireplace in the middle, and the chimney was transparent so you could see the flames scraping up the sides and the smoke puttering its way up. Akande let loose his two Rhodesian Ridgebacks and they ran laps around the place, overenergized after being cooped up in the ship for so long. The way Akande turned to Ashe, it seemed like he was feeling the same way.

 

“Are you ready to hit the slopes?” he asked. She couldn’t tell if the Americanism was him making fun of her or not but it was cute enough coming out of his mouth that she wasn’t going to complain.

 

Not about that, at least. “Just got here,” she said. “And it’s a real nice place. Wouldn’t you rather have a drink first?”

 

“We can drink anywhere. We came here to ski. And we’ll need the extra time, since you haven’t skied before.”

 

“I have,” Ashe said, a little more sulkily than she’d like to admit. “Last time I did I was ten, that’s all.”

 

“Then why did you tell me you hadn’t?”

 

“Because I thought I could convince you take our vacation back at Cuba, but no, we had to do a damn coin toss–”

 

Akande laughed and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. It was hard for her to keep scowling when he squeezed her shoulder. “Come on. I think you’ll like it. And if you really hate it, Geneva’s close by. We can go shopping instead.”

 

That was all Ashe needed to hear. She kissed him, grabbed her suitcase, and headed up the stairs, leaving him to scold one of the dogs for chewing on a silk pillow.

 

-

 

Much as Ashe would have liked to, she didn’t hate skiing. It was a little infuriating to be doing something Akande was so blatantly better than her at, but he told her she was a quick learner, and Akande wasn’t the type to blow smoke up her ass about this sort of thing. And she did love the thrill of picking up speed down the mountain, always feeling just this side of on balance.

 

And, as Akande said, “Drinks taste better when they’re earned.” Sitting next to Akande on his heated deck, high above the snow, sore from head to toe, a glass of bourbon in one hand and Akande’s hand in the other–

 

“Okay,” Ashe murmured. “Suppose this is an alright vacation, after all.” Akande chuckled and, God bless him, didn’t gloat really, just kissed the top of her head.

 

“I’m happy to hear that,” he said. “It’s my sister’s cabin, and she doesn’t let me use it often.”

 

Ashe cocked her head. “I haven’t heard about your sister before.”

 

“I suppose you haven’t.” Akande tapped at his holovid and a picture of a woman in a nice cashmere sweater and understated but recognizably obscenely expensive jewelry flickered into view. Ashe took note of how a soft smile grew on his face, and she couldn’t help smiling as well. “Her name’s Eniola. She’s a few years older than me, and she’s trans as well. She helped me with coming out and transitioning, when I was a kid. She’s going to positively grill you when she meets you,” he added, and Ashe tried to look suitably worried about the warning and not just pleased Akande wanted her to meet his family. “She still acts like my protective big sister, even though we’re both grown.”

 

“She’s not wrong to,” Ashe pointed out. “You’ve gotten into your fair share of trouble.” Akande laughed, rubbing the back of his neck.

 

“That’s true. She was the only person to visit me in prison, and she lectured me the whole time.” When Ashe looked up at him quizzically, his smile disappeared. He locked the holovid. Eniola’s portrait vanished. “Having a terrorist family member was bad for business,” he explained. “Everyone else with the Ogundimu name chose career over family. And I can’t exactly get upset about them over that. I did too.”

 

He said it all casual and justified it perfectly rationally, but Ashe had been learning to read him for a while. And even if she hadn’t, she knew what it was like when your family betrayed you. She put her hand on his and after a moment, he nodded.

 

“You were talking ‘bout your sister, though,” she said, and he perked up at that.

 

“Yes,” he said. “It wasn’t easy, but I stayed in touch with her, because…”

 

“Because she was worth fightin’ for,” Ashe supplied, and Akande smiled at her gratefully.

 

“Yes. That’s exactly it.”

 

Ashe leaned against his shoulder. “Can’t wait to meet her.”

 

“I wasn’t exaggerating about the grilling.”

 

“Hell, I’m up for a challenge.” Akande chuckled and kissed the top of her head again.

 

“What about you?” he asked. “I know your parents are out of the picture, but, ah…”

 

“I was an only child,” Ashe said, when he trailed off. “B.O.B.’s the only family from growin’ up I have left.”

 

“Huh,” Akande said, and when Ashe looked up at him he added, “I just didn’t know you considered B.O.B. family.”

 

Ashe thought about that, because she hadn’t entirely been thinking when she said the thing. But thinking about it now, Ashe remembered the basket of chocolates and wine and soap that had been waiting on the counter that she had assumed a maid had left, but that suddenly seemed far more likely to be from Eniola. And thinking about that, she remembered the notes B.O.B. had stuffed in her lunchbox– not text, but little drawings of him and standing hand in hand– and him coming into her room to tuck her in when her parents had forgotten. Him looking up ways to do her hair and carefully pinning it, after she started growing it out.

 

“He’s always been there for me,” Ashe said. “When no one else was. And no one else was there most of the time, when I was a kid. So yeah. Suppose I do, consider him family.”

 

Akande nodded and squeezed her shoulder. “He’s a good man,” he said, and Ashe cuddled close to him, his body heat and the fire keeping the mountain cold at bay.

 

-

 

They ended up going into town, the next day. Akande admitted he had wanted to anyway. They got tea and watched snow fall over the street, an Omnic in the restaurant’s uniform dutifully sweeping the sidewalk directly in front of the building.

 

They went to a boutique after that, and Ashe saw a deep purple cashmere scarf there. She grabbed it and ran it to Akande.

 

“For Eniola,” she said. “A thank you for letting us stay at her place. Tell ‘er it’s from me.”

 

Akande raised an eyebrow and took it from her, feeling the quality of the fabric. “This is your first impression. And giving her a present like this is a big move. Are you sure?”

 

“Well, I could rustle up some barbecue sauce for her instead, if you think that’d go over better…”

 

Akande shoved it back in her hands. “Buy the scarf."

**Author's Note:**

> This is a good ship someone besides Andy or I please write it. Also tbc both Akande & Ashe are trans.
> 
> I'm [@tacticalgrandma](https://twitter.com/tacticalgrandma) on twitter if you want to talk to me there!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, and any comments/kudos would mean the world <3


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